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Talking Pictures

Fiona Katauskas
Sun 10 Mar 2013, 11:19 AM AEDT

Cartoonist Fiona Katauskas discusses the week in pictures with The Australian's Jack the Insider.

Transcript

FIONA KATAUSKAS, PRESENTER: I'm freelance cartoonist Fiona Katauskas filling in more Mike Bowers. And I've snuck into the historic Bat and Ball Hotel for an early opening drink with a man whose finger is always on the pulse.

Blogger for the Australian - Jack the Insider. Morning Jack.

JACK THE INSIDER: G'day Fiona. Delighted to be here with you this morning.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: The Prime Minister's focus was on Western Sydney this week. She did touch on the issue of gang violence in Western Sydney.

(Referring to cartoon by Mark Knight, Herald Sun)

And Mark Knight has picked up on this beautiful with the sign: Rooty Hill. "Careful dear, the Prime Minister is right, gangs are fighting for control of Sydney's west."

JACK THE INSIDER: It's a beautiful cartoon. The duff, duff music in the background, the hotted up cars and a bit of glare in the traffic, which is something people of Western Sydney are pretty much used to. Yes, lovely little cartoon that one.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: And I do like the - she's got the right

JACK THE INSIDER: She's got the - she's giving him the fist.

(Referring to cartoon by Peter Nicholson, The Australian)

FIONA KATAUSKAS: And Peter Nicholson here he took the L out of Novotel and it's "No vote."

JACK THE INSIDER: He's done well there with the play on words (laughs). Yes indeed, 'no vote', and probably sums up the week.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: And he's got the Prime Minister here saying "The omen's look good. How many votes do ya reckon we won today?"

JACK THE INSIDER: (Laughs) Yes, as the L hits the deck - no vote.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: The Prime Minister wasn't the only one in Western Sydney. Tony Abbott both went for a visit here and to clean up Australia. Both are possibly metaphorically as well as literally.

(Referring to photograph by Nic Gibson, The Australian)This photograph from the 'Australian' has Peta Credlin, Tony Abbott's chief of staff, here mopping at the back of his head.

JACK THE INSIDER: It looks like she's either seen something objectionable on the car there or she's found something growing out of Tony Abbott's ear. It's just hard to tell.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: Now Jack, they say there's safety in numbers which may explain Labor's focus on the 457 visas this week.

(Referring to cartoon by David Rowe, The Financial Review)

David Rowe took us into the dark and magical places of his mind.

JACK THE INSIDER: Ms Hanson has poked her head up and said she approved of Julia Gillard's 457 clamp down. So, astonishing stuff.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: Astonishing stuff.

JACK THE INSIDER: Rule breaking stuff, yes.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: David Rowe has broken some rules himself offering "a xenophobia with chips, a xenowrap and a xenoburger".

FIONA KATAUSKAS: Someone who seems to be popular with the people and the gentlemen of gentlemen's quarterly is Malcolm Turnbull, who has a rather glamorous photo shoot in this month's GQ.

JACK THE INSIDER: Reminiscent of the Paul Keating photo shoot in Rolling Stone. Unfortunately they haven't done one of him lounging on a chaise lounge with someone popping bon-bons into his mouth, because that's kind of where his is at the moment politically.

But I love this one here ...

FIONA KATAUSKAS: It does look like he's saying I'm going to pretend Scott Morrison never said that.

JACK THE INSIDER: I think he's so relaxed at the moment as a politician that he can sleep standing up.

FIONA KATAUSKAS: But he's also so relaxed that he can have an outrageously clashing tie and shirt.

As always Jack it is a tremendous pleasure to have you on Talking Pictures. And would you like to do the honours?